<p>Hi im a prospective oos chemical engineering student. it seems that ut is a huge school and i was wondering if you are honestly treated like a number or like a student. I dont want to be coddled but I certainly dont want to be completely ignored. Also I saw somewhere that the majorty of students live off campus is this true? thanks in advance for all the replies</p>
<p>Haha, I'm a current OOS chemical engineering student. UT doesn't feel big at all. In fact, the CHE department is run like a small department, and the advisors know almost everyone (as long as you participate in activities and such). Sometimes it's almost a fault, but yeah, you don't have to worry about being ignored as long as you don't want to be ignored.</p>
<p>^tks and honestly how strong do u feel the ChemE department is at ut. is it easy to secure coop positions and do undergrad research? are undergrads competing for research spots or is it more like its there if you want to do it. Also do u feel sort of left out as an oos student since so many students at ut are instate? Sorry for such direct questions im just trying to get the most accurate view of texas that i can</p>
<p>these are great questions, no reason to be sorry</p>
<p>It is very easy to do undergrad research in the CHE department. I don't know anyone who wanted to do research but was unable to find a position. The lab I work in has more undergrads than grad students... professors in our department are very receptive to working with undergrads!</p>
<p>Getting a co-op position is more dependent on your resume and your ability to give an interview. I am co-oping with ExxonMobil next fall, but I wouldn't say it's directly because I am in the CHE department at UT. However I can say that the fall engineering career expo has more employers visit than almost any other university (if not the most of any university), so your chances of landing an interview with a good company are a lot greater than if you went to a smaller school. That's definitely one huge benefit of doing engineering at UT.</p>
<p>I have never felt left out; everyone here is really nice about making new friends, and if anything, in-state students are usually excited to meet out-of-state students!</p>
<p>soadquake, A in ochem? </p>
<p>Pretty straightforward class overall, I thought. But NMR spectra B seemed to have a misaligned axis... threw me for a loop at first</p>
<p>You have to learn to see the beauty in there being so many people at UT. </p>
<p>People don't care if you fall on your face on your way to school. Always new friends to make. You have all sorts of people here from all over the world. And some people will get familiar once you're in your daily routine. </p>
<p>It's a two way road to not be left as a number. Even if you're in one of those 300+ student classes, you can still meet with your professor during office hours. MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN. If you just waltz in thirty minutes late for class and chill at the very back, you're going to be invisible (don't get me wrong, sometimes it's nice). </p>
<p>Unless you're at a UT football game and you're with all the people in the stadium, you won't ever really feel like you're among an ocean of people. It's just day-by-day going to class. Not bad at all!</p>
<p>I felt the same way as sasha when I was at UT, when the enrollment was 48.000. I hung out with the other students in architectural engineering. It was a pretty small department, so I got to know almost everyone. You have SO many opportunities at UT! No one will hold your hand, but if you're a self-starter, you'll do really well.</p>
<p>I compare UT to a big city with lots of small neighborhoods. You get to know your own neighborhood well, but you can still enjoy visiting other parts of town! It's awesome, really.</p>
<p>^that's the analogy I always though of! It's dead on</p>
<p>I'm from a small town (about 2,000), and my high school class was about 63. I came to UT wondering how I was going to survive majoring in Biochemistry/Pre-PA with almost no science/calculus experience, and I managed to do okay. Now I can't imagine being in a smaller school. Being on such a large campus is great!</p>
<p>thanks for all the replies everyone they were really helpful</p>
<p>I'm coming in as a grad student in ChemE from New York. I can't wait to see how the transition is =)</p>
<p>To be honest, UT has never really felt super big to me. Don't get me wrong, there's a lot of kids here, but you don't really ever get the vibe that this is the 5th largest school in the country. </p>
<p>The school especially doesn't seem that big to me, but that's because I transferred. The biggest class I've had so far was an introductory geology course of about 100 students. Most of my classes have about 30-60 students, which isn't big at all. I think you get a "bigger" vibe when you're in your freshman-level courses which can sometimes have 200+ people. </p>
<p>Most people come here and really end up appreciating the size of UT. Bigger university = more opportunities. There's like over 1000 (literally) clubs that you can join, so you're bound to find friends that share your same interest.</p>
<p>Like others have mentioned, it's like a big city with many small neighborhoods. If you don't carve your niche, I think it would feel HUGE. During passing periods it's mind-blowing to see just how many people there really are. Being at such a big university means you have to take the initiative to forge relationships with professors, find clubs, investigate research opportunities, etc - no one's going to hold your hand at UT, and that's a problem for the very shy among us. </p>
<p>Also, yeah, most people do live off campus, but I think that really applies to ANY public university.</p>